By By Marty Stamper/The Meridian Star
June 6, 2001
Twenty golfers from the area are among a field of 144 golfers competing for the 86th Mississippi Golf Association State Amateur Championship which will be played at Old Waverly Golf Club in West Point, Thursday-Sunday.
Golfers with Meridian connections include Dan Angero, Earl Aycock Jr., Daniel Boles, Doyle Bryan, Clinton Hales, Judge Little, Randy Pool, Robert Sanford, H.G. Weddington, and John Thomas Williamson, all of Meridian; Meridian Community College golfers Cameron Hunt, Brandon Laird, Dan Luke, and Morgan Stewart; and former Meridianites Johnny Lang and Mike Taylor.
Other golfers from the area include Ken Bush of Newton, Robert Luke of Hickory, and Scott Ray and Robert Tranum of Louisville.
Rett Crowder of Jackson is the three-time defending champion.
Little was a teammate of Crowder's at LSU and knows all about his game.
Crowder currently works with Taylor and Lang for J.C. Bradford.
Little said he was looking forward to this week's tournament.
Angero, who finished fourth a year ago at Jackson Country Club, has been hot lately, shooting a 64 Sunday at Northwood Country Club.
Recent rain has fallen on the course that played host to the 1999 U.S. Women's Open Championship and more rain is expected this week during the 72-hole event.
Pool and Taylor teamed to win the 2001 Bill Cass Senior Four-Ball at Tupelo Country Club recently, finishing 16-under par for the three-day tournament.
While the state am is individual stroke play, Little said he expected Taylor, a 10-time state am champion, to finish in the top 10.
Marty Stamper is a sports writer for The Meridian Star. E-mail him at mstamper@themeridianstar.com.